As the fall-out from the Arab spring settles, Tunisia has moved to address chronic deficits in its national utilities by raising tariffs. Getting tough with bad debtors is also beginning to work.

Water and wastewater tariffs in Tunisia are set to increase by 7% in July this year, and then every year until 2016. It is only the second tariff adjustment in 10 years, and one that is sorely needed by national water utility SONEDE and wastewater utility ONAS.

Hédi Belhaj, chief executive of SONEDE, told GWI that the utility was ...